EAA/ANN AirVenture Innovation Preview

Hopscotch Air Touts 'Hassle-Free And Affordable' Private Air
Service

Upstart air taxi provider Hopscotch
Air recently earned approval from the FAA to begin customer flights
from New York metropolitan airports, using a fleet of Cirrus
SR22s.

"For the first time, everyday travelers can now experience
travel freedom and leave behind over-crowded airports and
frustrating airline delays, while paying prices often competitive
to that of the airlines," the company tells ANN.

That statement will sound familar to anyone well-versed with
air-taxi providers like SATSair, which also uses SR22s. To date,
however, SATSair has focused its efforts on the southeastern US.
Hopscotch marks one of the first air taxi forays into the congested
Northeastern Corridor.

Hopscotch Air says its pilots will meet customers at any New
York metropolitan airport on Long Island, Westchester, CT and New
Jersey, and flies them to destinations throughout the northeast.
Hopscotch Air can access hundreds of lightly used airports that, in
many cases, are closer to people's final destinations. Hopscotch's
planes and pilots can even wait at the destination airport for when
the customer wants to return.

Hopscotch President and co-founder Andrew Schmertz notes his
prices are highly competitive with airline air shuttle service. In
fact, two people can fly from New York to Boston for less money
than the walk-up fare on the Delta or US Airways Shuttle.

"This country didn't just have an economic meltdown; it has had
an airline meltdown," Schmertz says. "People still need to fly and
time is still money. They are clamoring for a solution to the
airline mess. Airlines are reducing - and in some cases,
cancelingservice along many routes,” Schmertz says. "But
travelers still need to get to that meeting at an affordable price.
With Hopscotch Air, you show up, get on board and go."